A Germany vs Netherlands final would be the DIRTIEST game in the history of the cup. There would be carnage.

Brazil vs Argentina would be the dirtiest and would be a boring match. Brazil under Scolari are a bunch of thugs, and the Argentines will not accept thuggery from their hated rivals lying down.

This has the greatest potential to devolve into the most vicious derby of them all. It would all depend on the referee.

If FIFA is smart, they have to get Howard Webb for a clash between the South American giants.

The current German team is not as physically aggressive as they once were. Ozil, Goetze, and Mueller are rumored to get manicures and pedicures.

The Dutch? They're toning it down from 2006 and 2010. But you can tell they're itching to dish out some steel. That Krul guy in particular was pushing his luck. Do that against Argentina and he might have gotten a slap!

A Germany vs Netherlands final would be the DIRTIEST game in the history of the cup. There would be carnage.

Brazil vs Argentina would be the dirtiest and would be a boring match. Brazil under Scolari are a bunch of thugs, and the Argentines will not accept thuggery from their hated rivals lying down.

This has the greatest potential to devolve into the most vicious derby of them all. It would all depend on the referee.

If FIFA is smart, they have to get Howard Webb for a clash between the South American giants.

The current German team is not as physically aggressive as they once were. Ozil, Goetze, and Mueller are rumored to get manicures and pedicures.

The Dutch? They're toning it down from 2006 and 2010. But you can tell they're itching to dish out some steel. That Krul guy in particular was pushing his luck. Do that against Argentina and he might have gotten a slap!

The Dutch and Germans have some obvious history, football and otherwise...although I'd say the latter has cooled down over the years.

But the Argentinian and Brazilian football rivalry is something else. Both sets of fans derive significant identity from this sport, particularly against one another. This is Messi trying to equal Maradona and surpass Pele, as Argentinians see it. This is, in the Brazilian perspective, Argentina trying to take what's rightfully theirs, pushing yet another imposter to wrongfully supplant King Pele.

That's the match where I could see fans having a serious go at one another.

The Dutch and Germans have some obvious history, football and otherwise...although I'd say the latter has cooled down over the years.

But the Argentinian and Brazilian football rivalry is something else. Both sets of fans derive significant identity from this sport, particularly against one another. This is Messi trying to equal Maradona and surpass Pele, as Argentinians see it. This is, in the Brazilian perspective, Argentina trying to take what's rightfully theirs, pushing yet another imposter to wrongfully supplant King Pele.

That's the match where I could see fans having a serious go at one another.

Cheers, Mate

I just see the German and Dutch players trying to break one another's legs, while at least the Brazilians and Argentinians would try to outplay each other -- it would be about football.

For the Germans and Dutch, it would be about football, but not really, and the losers would get it rubbed in their face for a generation.

If they do make it to the final, the prospect of winning or losing the world cup would be a good thermometer for how much "cooling off" has really happened between them.